May 10, 2013

Image Caption: This self-portrait of NASA's Mars rover Curiosity combines 66 exposures taken by the rover's Mars Hand Lens Imager (MAHLI) during the 177th Martian day, or sol, of Curiosity's work on Mars (Feb. 3, 2013). Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/MSSS

NASAs Jet Propulsion Laboratory

Two prominent aerospace industry organizations are recognizing the contributions of NASA, especially the achievements of the team that landed NASAs Curiosity rover on Mars in August, with coveted awards.

The National Aeronautic Association will present its Robert J. Collier Trophy to the Mars Science Laboratory Team of NASAs Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, Calif., at an event in Arlington, Va., Thursday night. At an event in Washington on Wednesday, the team received the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics Foundation Award. Several individuals from NASA were also honored by the AIAA.

Its wonderful to see NASAs people and their accomplishments recognized by the aerospace community, NASA Administrator Charles Bolden said. In particular, the Curiosity landing was the hardest NASA mission ever attempted in the history of robotic planetary exploration. These prestigious awards are a testament to the dedication and hard work of the entire worldwide team.

AIAA also conferred its highest recognition, the title of honorary fellow, on William Gerstenmaier, NASAs associate administrator for human exploration and operations and presented NASAs associate administrator for science, astronaut John Grunsfeld, with its AIAA National Capitol Section Barry Goldwater Educator Award. AIAA recognized Ray G. Clinton of NASAs Marshall Space Flight Center, Huntsville, Ala., and Laurence D. Leavitt of NASAs Langley Research Center, Hampton, Va., as fellows.

The National Aeronautic Association established the Collier Trophy in 1911 and presents it yearly to recognize the greatest achievement in aeronautics or astronautics in America. The AIAA awards recognize the most influential and inspiring individuals in aerospace, whose outstanding contributions merit the highest accolades. Past honorees have included Orville Wright, Neil Armstrong, the team that designed the space shuttle and the astronauts who carried out the first Hubble Space Telescope repair mission in 1993.

The NAAs Collier citation notes the Mars Science Laboratory teams extraordinary achievements of successfully landing Curiosity on Mars, advancing the nations technological and engineering capabilities, and significantly improving humanitys understanding of ancient Martian habitable environments.

More than 7,000 people in at least 33 U.S. states and 11 other countries have worked on the Mars Science Laboratory mission. Curiosity, the laboratorys centerpiece, carries 10 science instruments to investigate the environmental history inside Gale Crater on Mars. In March, rover scientists announced an analysis of a rock sample collected there shows Mars could have supported living microbes in an ancient freshwater environment. Curiositys mission is expected to last at least two years.

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Prestigious Awards Won By NASA Curiosity Rover